William harden



(No Model.)

W. HARDEN.

. GUARD 0R TURRET FOR EXPRESS oARs. No 550,369. Patented Nov. 26, 1895.

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wii mwwa ANDREW B GRAHAM. FHOTO-UTHQWASHINGTGMD E UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I'IARDEN, OF JAMESPORT, MISSOURI.

GUARD OR TURRET'FIOR EXPRESSHCARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,369, dated ovember 26, 1895.

Application filed August 1, 1895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HARDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at J amesport, in the county of Daviess and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guards or Turrets for Express-Oars and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to railway-cars, and more particularly to a guard or turret adapted to be placed within the baggage or express car in which large sums and valuables are transported.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is so constructed that should the train be held up by robbers for the purpose of plunder the express-agent may step into the guard and from his position therein defend the contents of the car with firearms and will be protected from injury by the robbers.

With this object in View the invention consists of certain features of construction and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of the car, showing my guard arranged in the corner thereof and with its door swung open ready for the admission of the express-agent. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same, taken through the holes through which the firearms areprojected.

In the drawings, 1 denotes an express-car and 2 denotes the guard. The guard is preferably tubular in form and is constructed of any suitable bullet-proof material, such as nickel or steel. The guard is suitably attached to the floor of the car and its upper end projects above the roof of the same, as shown in Fig. 1.

3 denotes a door secured at the lower end of the tubular casing, which door may be provided with a spring=1atch 4, which works from within, so that when the agent enters the cas= ing and closes the door it will be locked against being opened from the exterior. About midway of the tubular casing is provided a trans= verse partition 5, which consists of two parts Serial Nol 557,897. (No model.)

6 and 7, the former of which is rigidly se= cured to the sides of the casing, and the latter of which is pivoted to the edge of the former and is provided with a spring which normally holds it pressed upon the upper side of the part 6. The upper and lower portions of the cylindrical casing are provided with an annular row of apertures 8, through which the expressman may project a firearm for the purpose of intimidating or killing the robbers.

In operation, when the train is held up, should the robbers force their entrance into the express-car the agent steps into the casing and closes the door. While protected himself from bullets of the robbers, and while probably unobserved, he can effectively guard the contents of the car. Should, however, the robbers fail to immediately gain an entrance into the express-car, the attendant may enter the casing and swing himself up into the upper end of the same and stand upon the swinging part of the partition, and from this point in the casing he may drive away the robbers.

The apertures in the lower part of the easing may be provided with slides for covering the same, so that while the expressman is firing through one hole the robbers will be pre- Vented from inserting their firearms into the other holes and injuring the expressman. These slides consist of a plate 9, the edges of which work between tongues 10, struck up from the sides of the casing.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A guard of the character described, consisting of a casing having a door, a platform extending across said casing about midway its length, said platform consisting of two parts, one part being fixed to the casing and the other part hinged to the first named part and provided with a spring for normally holding it folded down upon the upper face of the first part, the said casing being provided with vision openings in its sides near its upper and lower ends, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WM. I-IARDEN.

Witnesses:

P. LACY, W. L. THOMPSON. 

